The Lowdown
At $119.95, the Nomad Base Station Hub Edition with Magnetic Alignment is the only charger you’ll need on your desk, bedside table, or in your living room. It can charge your Qi-enabled smartphone and wireless earbuds, as well as your Apple Watch and one other item, thanks to the two USB ports on its back.
Overall
Pros
- Elegant aluminum build with leather accents
- Low profile
- Charges two devices wirelessly and two more via USB cables that you supply
- Magnets help align the devices being wireless charged
- Optional Apple Watch Charging Mount is just $4.95
Cons
- Magnetic alignment is a bit more subtle than I expected, but it does what it promises
Nomad’s Base Station wireless chargers are among the best and most elegant wireless chargers available. I love their sleek design and the ability to charge multiple devices simultaneously. The Nomad Base Station Hub Edition with Magnetic Alignment is all that, but it is easier to use than ever.
The Nomad Base Station Hub Edition with Magnetic Alignment looks precisely like the original Base Station Hub. That’s a good thing.
The Nomad Base Station Hub Edition with Magnetic Alignment has the same slim, low-profile design as the original Base Station Hub; the frame height is just one centimeter! It is milled from aluminum with the heft and style that signifies a premium product. The cushioned leather charging surface adds a level of elegance while offering a safe, scratch-free surface for your phone or AirPods.
As with the original version, the Base Station Hub’s top Qi-wireless charging surface can handle a single phone, two phones, or a phone and a pair of earbuds.
Inside the Base Station Hub, there are three high-powered charging coils with an output of up to 10W each.
On the back, there is a USB-C PD port that delivers 18W of power and a USB-A port that offers an additional 7.5W; that means you can charge a total of four devices simultaneously.
At the front of the hub, there are subtle LEDs that illuminate to let you know the wireless charging is active.
This new version of the Base Station Hub stands out because it uses magnets to help align the device needing to be charged. The magnets help simplify the sometimes frustrating experience of trying and failing to align a device with the wireless charging coils perfectly. As Nomad explains:
Get the perfect alignment every time with magnets that align with the MagSafe magnets in your device. This makes it easy to find the charging spot, whether you’re too busy reading an email or just trying to get back to sleep. Just feel for the magnetic snap to place and keep doing what you’re doing.
The magnetic alignment feature provides tactile feedback when a device is perfectly centered over the Qi coil for an optimized charging experience. The magnets engage with all MagSafe-enabled iPhones and AirPods as well as the Google Pixel 6.
The Nomad Base Station Hub Edition with Magnetic Alignment includes chargers for multiple countries and xx. Also shown is the optional $4.95 Apple Watch Charging Mount; you have to supply the Apple Watch charging cable, which can be plugged into one of the hub’s two USB ports.
Nomad Base Station Hub Edition with Magnetic Alignment Details:
- Charges up to 4 devices simultaneously (two wireless, two wired)
- Up to 10W wireless charging speed
- Magnetic alignment as an added benefit for MagSafe products
- USB-C PD 18W port
- USB-A 7.5W port
- The padded leather wireless charging surface
- Ambient light sensor dims LED’s at night
The Nomad Base Station Hub Edition with Magnetic Alignment is shown with the optional Apple Watch ChaNomad’sount Installed.
I liked the previous Nomad Base Station Hub charger; it has a level of elegance that eclipsed most other wireless chargers. It could also wirelessly charge two devices and two additional devices simultaneously — all from a hub with a slim profile that didn’t call attention to itself. However, there were times when I found it challenging to get my phone positioned properly when using it.
The addition of magnets on the new Nomad Base Station Hub Edition with Magnetic Alignment addresses that positioning issue in a subtle manner that simply works.
However, don’t expect the magnetic alignment in this new Base Station Hub to be as strong as it is with the typical Apple MagSafe accessories. While the magnets don’t “grab” your iPhone in quite the same way, the magnets do guide your placement, so you get optimal charging speeds.
As a result, you will never again discover that the phone you thought you left wirelessly charging overnight is actually dead because it was misaligned; it is a small change but a significant one.
At $119.95, the Nomad Base Station Hub Edition with Magnetic Alignment is the only charger you’ll need on your desk, bedside table, or in your living room. It can charge your Qi-enabled smartphone and wireless earbuds, as well as your Apple Watch and one other item, thanks to the two USB ports on its back.
I liked my review sample so much that I’ll be buying another one when I finally return to working from my desk at the synagogue.
The Nomad Base Station Hub Edition with Magnetic Alignment sells for $119.95; for an additional $4.95, you can add an Apple Watch Charging Mount. It is available directly from the manufacturer.
For their end-of-2021 sale, Nomad is offering 20% off of full-price and in-stock Nomad gear with code TREATYOURSELF.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Elegant aluminum build with leather accents; Low profile; Charges two devices wirelessly and two more via USB cables that you supply; Magnets help align the devices being wireless charged; Optional Apple Watch Charging Mount is just $4.95
What Needs Improvement: Magnetic alignment is a bit more subtle than I expected, but it does what it promises